John Galliano is back in the studio. The Spanish retailer Zara has signed the design legend to a two-year creative partnership, bringing him back to fashion after a two-year absence. His return follows the spectacular and viral success of his final Artisanal show for Maison Margiela in 2024. As part of the collaboration, Galliano will “re-author” pieces from Zara’s archives.
“I’ve been curating some of Zara’s recent archives,” Galliano told Vogue during Paris Fashion Week. “The idea is that I will re-author them.” The project began through his conversations with Marta Ortega Perez—the chair of Inditex, Zara’s parent company, and the daughter of its founder, Amancio Ortega. “I met Marta through MOP [the Marta Ortega Perez Foundation] and the wonderful exhibitions she organizes—Steven Meisel, Irving Penn,” Galliano explained. The foundation, established in 2022, hosts photography and fashion exhibitions in A Coruña, Spain. “Through those exhibitions, we started to strike up a friendship. I just like how open she is.”
Since Ortega Perez became chair in 2022, Zara has collaborated with other high-fashion designers like Narciso Rodriguez and Stefano Pilati, and released capsule collections with figures such as Kate Moss and Steven Meisel. However, the partnership with Galliano is unique for its two-year duration.
“I’m super excited because it’s not something I’ve done before, so that kind of tickles me—the newness, the excitement, the actual process,” Galliano said. “Even with my team, I have to keep reminding them daily: No, it’s not this, and it’s not that. We are re-authoring. It’s been quite fun, and I just think it’s a very positive thing to be doing at this time, and really sustainable from a creative point of view, which is super interesting to me.”
In January, Galliano was seen front row at Jonathan Anderson’s haute couture debut for Dior. Before his decade at Maison Margiela, he was creative director of Christian Dior from 1997 to 2011. “When I was at school—even before I went to school—John was a hero of mine,” Anderson said at the time, noting that Galliano designed for Dior longer than the founder himself. “For me in the modern-day world, he is Dior.” Anderson’s collection paid homage to Galliano, referencing his past designs and incorporating cyclamen—the flower Galliano gave the younger designer at their first meeting—across many pieces, alongside an impressive set inspired by the Musée Rodin.
Since leaving Margiela, Galliano has spent the past two years stepping off what he called “the crazy merry-go-round.” He described this time as “going to museums, walking through the woods without my phone, getting lost but not being afraid to get lost, and relying on instinct again, reconnecting with instinct, like breathing correctly.” He added, “It’s been precious time to just really think about what I would like to do next. You think, Oh, that’s what you have to do, and, Oh, you’re going to be this for the rest of your life, you’re going to be that. Well, no—at some point, it’s quite good to just step off and think, if you can.”
He has been secretly working in an atelier “somewhere around Paris” since January. “It’s early days at the moment, but I’ve launched quite a few toiles, and when we see them back, we’ll be able to see how far I can push it safely, if you know what I mean.” While he doesn’t want to reveal too much about the work in progress, he will say it’s “informed by form and proportion [without] falling into any categories. One could safely say it’s beyond gender and beyond seasons.”
The first collection will arrive in stores in September. The thought that his clothes could suddenly become accessible to a whole new audience also excites him: “To deliver fashion through that enormous platform—that, of course, is thrilling. And to be able to work with the kind of resources they have…””Of course, that’s equally thrilling,” he said. So, how does he feel about returning to the whirlwind? “They say the third act of your life is the most important,” Galliano reflected, “and it can be the most enjoyable.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about John Gallianos collaboration with Zara designed to cover a range of perspectives
Beginner General Questions
1 Who is John Galliano and why is this a big deal
John Galliano is a legendary and controversial British fashion designer Hes known for his incredibly theatrical romantic and historicallyinspired designs for houses like Dior and his own label Maison Margiela His collaboration with Zara is a big deal because it brings his highfashion avantgarde vision to a mainstream affordable retailer for the first time
2 What exactly is the collaboration Is it a full collection
Its a capsule collection meaning its a limitededition smaller selection of pieces designed by Galliano for Zara Its not a full seasonal collection but a focused drop under the name Zara Atelier
3 When and where can I buy it
The collection launched online and in select Zara stores on May 23 2024 Due to high demand many items sold out quickly online Restocks are possible but not guaranteed
4 Why is Zara working with someone controversial
Galliano was famously dismissed from Dior in 2011 after making antisemitic remarks Since then he has undergone rehabilitation apologized and made a critically acclaimed comeback at Maison Margiela Zaras parent company Inditex likely sees this as a partnership with a redeemed artistic genius betting that the fashion worlds forgiveness and desire for his designs outweigh the past controversy
Advanced FashionEnthusiast Questions
5 How does this differ from other designerhigh street collabs
While similar in concept this is unique because Galliano is not currently heading a major commercial fashion house he is the Artistic Director of Maison Margiela The collaboration is specifically channeling his personal signature aestheticthe Gallianoisms of bias cuts historical draping and romantic disorderrather than the codes of a corporate brand like Balmain
6 What are the key Galliano signature styles visible in the Zara collection
Look for